Automobile tire chain



. 2,441,113 R. PEPPER.

AUTOMOBILE TIRE CHAIN. Fl LE-D JAN 3, I922 Patented Z13,

RAY PFE'KER, DEFAIEMONT. NEST VIRGENIA.

AKITUMGBELE TIRE CHAII'Z.

Applicetion tiled January 3, 18212.

To a2! whom it may concern:

lied. known that RAY Psereii, a citizen of the United States of America. Fairmovnt in the county of Marion and 5 Stella at. 'West- Virginia. has invented new and useful improvements in Automobile Tire Chainmof w'h'ch the following is a speciii cation.

The object of the. invention is to provide in connection with a tire chain of generically conventional type a readily applicable means for guiding against side skidding of the wheel to which it is applied without in any way detracting from the etliciency of the clei'nents designed to prevent forward and rearward slipping or skidding but on the other hand designed to increase the ciency ol the tread elements as ordinarily used: and'furthermore toprovide a device otthis type which may readily be repaired orof which worn or broken parts may bo readily replaced to pi'olong the eiiiciency thereof at a moderate expense; and with these objects in view the invention consists iii a construction and combination of parts 0.. which a preferred embodiment is showni in the accompanying drawings. wherein;-- Figure 1 is'a side view of a tire chain embodying the invention applied in the operative position to a wheel.

Figure is :1 cross sectional view of the same.

"Figure 3 is a plan view partly broken away ole chain arranged in a flat conditionand showing both terminals.

l 'igures t and 5 are detail views respectl'vely of one of the running; eyes and the terminal fastener for the supplemental anti-slcid element. I

Figure a plan view of the terminal eye carried at one end oi'each of the supplemental antbskid elements.

The chain embodies essentially the panallel side members 10 which serve as retainers and which are provided with terminal shackles or; similar fastening devices indicated at 11-for connecting their terminals at opposite sides of the the '12 when the device is applied to the wheel. and which side members are preferably oi the linked or chain "form indicated and conventionally employed in this connection. and transverse tread members 13 consisting in the present. instance of intertwisted strands of heavy wire or rods of a sutlieient flexibility to conform to the curvature transversely oi the residing at Serial rm. 526.635.

tire tread as shown in Figure 2. and the terminals of which trend members are connected with the side members 10 by means of tie members llwhich are also preferubly of linked or chain construction and which lie in contact with the side surfaces of the tire between the side members and the tread members and serve to hold the latter in proper position against displace ment longitudinally of the ti tread.

The tie members ll are connected with the extremities of the tread members 13 by means of relatively enlarged running eyes 15 arranged at a unitorm distance from the side members it) and in a series parallel therewith. and movably threaded. through these running eyes parallel respectively with the side members 10 are supplemental longitudinal tread members 16 also of linked orchain construction. The extremities l6 end 16 of the supplemental longitudinal treud'menibers are terminally provided respectively with the fasteners 16 and the eyes ltl. the latter being formed with radial inwardly projecting prongs 16. After the attachment of the extremities of the side members ill by means of the fasteners ii. the sup 'ilemental tread members are connected by passing the fasteners 16 through the eyes lo, the latter providing a running engagement for the portions 16 of the side members until the proper tension on the latter is secured. when selected links in the side members are engaged with the prongs 16 to maintain the tension. The fasteners 16 are then connected into one of the links of the main side'members 10. it is thus seen that the arrangement not only provides for securing the desired tension of the supplemental. tread members but also provides for placing the main side members under tension by the connection therewith of the free extremities of the supplemental members.

The location oi the running eyes with re.- lation to the side or retaining members 10 of the device positions the supplemental longitudinal tread elements 16 at opposite sides of and parallel with the tread portion of the tire as will be obvious by reference to Figure 2 so that us the wheel equipped with the device progresses. the said members 16 occupy positions substantially in the plane of and at opposite sides of that portion of the tire tread which is depressed by the weight of the car. lln other words the side members 16 lie normally substantially in the plane of that portion of the tread which is carrying the Weight of the car and which is slightly flattened bycontact with the road surface under the stress of the weight superposed thereon, but said longitudinal tread members do not come between the bearing portion of the tire tread and the road'bed or surface, and therefore are t. subjected to the direct pressure of the wheels in the ordinary op ration thereof. But should the wheel ten to move transversely or skid laterally the relation of the longitudinal tread member to 'l the tread of the Wheel, on that side toward which the wheel tends to skid or move, will cause the adjacent portion of the longitudinal tread membeh' to roll under the tread of the wheel or loop laterally and inwardly between the ad-' jacent points of connection with the transverse tread members or the stay members, and thus serve as an anti-skid element to check such lateral or transverse movement of the wheel.

In other words whereas the supplemental longitudinal tread elements ordinarily occupy positions adjacent to and parallel with the operative tread portion of the wheel and in the forward progress of the wheel are practically inoperative, any tendency of the wheel to slide or skid laterally will bring one or the other of the said tread elements into action to check said lateral movement and direct the wheel in its proper forward progress.

This action of the supplemental tread elements is due largely to the location thereof at opposite sides of and close to the normal tread surface of the tire and to the fact that there is a loose running connection between said tread elements and the transverse stay members, so as to afford a possibility of the inward looping of a portion of the supplemental tread element under the tread portion of the tire by reason of the lateral movement of the latter by the yielding of the suppleinental tread element through the running eyes.

Moreover as above indicated the running connection of the supplemental tread elements witlithe transverse tie members serves to facilitate the removal of the former to release the tread and tie members when replacement or repair of the latter is required.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and useful is 1. A tire chain having parallel side or marginal members"provided with terminal means of engagement;transverse tread members for spanning the tire tread and having terminal connection with the said side or marginal members, and supplemental longitween the terminals of the transverse tread members and the side or marginal members consisting of tie members provided at their inner ends with open eyes for the reception and running engagement of said supplemental tread elements.

2A tire chain having parallel side marginal'members provided with terminal means of engagement, transverse tread members for spanning the tire andv having terminal connection with said sidec-r marginal members, and supplemental longitudinal tread elements having running: engage ment with said transverse members and er:-

tendin continuouslvthrou bout the lene'th ll g z of the chain, said supplemental tread cl y. inents being disposed at opposite sides of. parallel with and adjacent to the active tread surface of the tire, one terminal said supplemental tread elements having eye for running engagement with the other terminal portion of the same element. t remaining terminal of said element havi a fastener for engagement with a selected link in the adjacent side or marginal member. 7

3. A tire chain having" parallel side or marginal members provided with terminal means of engagement. transeverse tread members for spanning the tire and having terminal connection with said side or man ginal members, andsupplemental longitudb nal tread elements having; running ment with said transverse members and. er tending continuously throughout the len. of the chain. said supplemental tread t i ments being disposed at opposite sides of.

parallel with and adjacent to the active tread surface of the tire. one terminal. of each supplemental tread element ha int; an eye formed with an inwardly directed radial pron the eye. providing running, engage ment for the adjacent terminal portion the same supplemental element and the prong being engagcable in a link oi said portion to maintain the desired tension oi said element. the remaining terminal of the element having a fastener engageable with one of the links of the adjacent side or niarginal member.

In testimony whereof he atiirzes his sigma ture.

RAY PEPPER. 

